October 18 and 19, 2018, Crowne Plaza Hotel - Cleveland South, 5300 Rockside Road, Independence, OH 44131. Extra Bonus: Participation at this conference qualifies for 1.3 CEUs along with one Ohio BWC Safety Council Rebate Program external training credit with submission of certificate of attendance to your Safety Council sponsor by June 30.

Move Up To Better Health

Introducing a free health and wellness program for Ohio’s small businesses

Promoting better health for employees is a key to success for any business. And Better You, Better Ohio! is helping to make it happen. The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has launched a free new health program along with ActiveHealth® Management. Employees will have access to these helpful resources: Quick and easy health assessment, Biometric screening, Digital lifestyle and condition coaching, and Mobile app.

Ready to make your small business even healthier? To learn more about this free program download the listed flyer.

Join the National OSHA “Stand-Down” Challenge to Prevent Falls

The month of May is Fall Prevention Awareness month. In honor of OSHA’s “National Stand-down to Prevent Falls” the BWC encourages all Safety Council members to perform safety training on preventing falls during the month of May. Falls might be the number one reason for fatalities in the Construction industry, but injuries from falls don’t stop there. Every employer – Industry, Healthcare, Service and Construction industries have a risk of employees slipping, tripping or falling. It may be the Ohio weather or the fact that all employees walk at some point during the work day, in other words: the risks exists. So, BWC asks that you “stand-down” and talk about it.

Included are a variety of resources to help guide you through this initiative, attached are:

Any employer can host a stand-down by taking a break in the regular work day and focus on "Fall Hazards" in your specific workplace, and reinforce the importance of "Fall Prevention." Keep in mind, a stand-down is an opportunity for employers to have a conversation with employees about hazards, protective methods, and the company's safety policies and goals. It can also be an opportunity for employees to talk to management about fall hazards they see.

Slips, Trips and Falls For General Industry - Zurich 10-Point Program

How safe are your floors? How about your stairs? Have people fallen recently? You are not alone if you have had slips and falls.

Many factors contribute to slip, trip and fall incidents. The Zurich guide is designed to help you and your management teams become self-sufficient in better controlling these exposures. This workbook provides a logical process to identify areas at your location that have the greatest potential for slip, trip and fall occurrences. Then, it will show the user how to prioritize hazards and develop action plans to help control slip, trip and fall losses in those areas.

Prospective Billing & Safety Seminar For Private Employers

BWC is switching to the industry standard of prospective billing for employer premiums. Have you wondered what it means for your business? Private employers: Come to a FREE seminar near you to get answers and details about prospective billing.

Cell Phone Policies And Safety

It is estimated in 2005 there were 1.3 billion cell phone users worldwide. “Can you hear me now?,” the catchphrase used by Verizon, has become part of our culture. Cell phone use has expanded into every activity in our lives, from emergency communication to picking products from a grocery shelf. It sometimes seems people have no idea what to do with a spare moment other than make a cell phone call.

Here are six different PDF files dealing with cell phone policies and safety:

Massive Government Recall Covers 37.8M Kidde Fire Extinguishers

The federal government is launching a massive fire extinguisher recall. It covers nearly 40 million Kidde extinguishers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says 37.8 million fire extinguishers might not work during an emergency.

Kidde marketing videos emphasize how important their products are in the event of a fire, but the company is now recalling 37.8 million of its fire extinguishers in the United States, reports CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave. The recalled extinguishers date back decades and some models have been recalled before for other issues.

Ann Marie Buerkle leads the agency ordering the recall.

"It's a product that a lot of people have in their homes, in their offices," Buerkle said.

The agency claims extinguishers with plastic handles and push button -- or pindicators -- can clog, resulting in a failure to discharge. Nozzles can also pop off with enough force to be a dangerous projectile.

There have been nearly 400 reports of extinguishers malfunctioning resulting in 16 injuries and one death.